This year a field of competitors took to the kitchen for the Mixed Plate Scholarship. Ready, set, cook.

The finalists had only one job. That's to impress the judges: Michelle Karr Ueoka of MW Restaurant, Jon Matsubara of Japengo and Alec Sou of Aloun Farm.

This year two ingredients were chosen: Ewa sweet corn and Kona vanilla bean. They had to be used in both the entree and dessert.

How's that going to work? Well, the contestants gave us a glimpse.

"I'm making a cream of corn, corn puree with seared fish and warm zucchini salad with vanilla foam. My dessert is going to be a creamy polenta. It's a traditional dish from my country Brazil. We call it conjika," Mariana Oliveira, a scholarship hopeful.

For dessert, she said she would make a corn cake, corn cookie and corn ice cream.

The theme works the new localicious movement that 65 restaurants have adopted.

"Our philosophy is farm to table and support the next generation. Part of localicious is a dollar from every dish goes back to the Hawaii Agricultural Foundation and the Veggie U program," said Karr Ueoka.

"We use local ingredients all the time anyway. Now, we get to give back. It's kind of a win-win situation," said Matsubara.

"What we produce goes from not only the university level, but the high school level all the way through the kitchen and the consumer," said Sou.

All finalists earn scholarships. The big winner will be announced at Kapiolani Community College's fundraiser Ho'okipa on Thursday.

different matter. KITV4's Pamela Young... looks at this year's field of competition for the Mixed Plate Scholarship. Ready, set, cook. The finalists have only one job...to impress the judges..Michelle Karr Ueoka of MW Restaurant, Jon Matsubara of Japengo and Alec Sou of Aloun Farm. "THIS YEAR 2 INGREDIENTS WERE CHOSEN, EWA SWEET CORN AND KONA VANILLA BEAN. THEY HAVE TO HAVE BOTH IN THE entrée AND DESSERT. HOW'S THAT GOING TO WORK? "I'M MAKING A CREAM OF CORN, CORN PUREE WITH SEARED FISH AND ZUCCHINI SALAD AND VANILLA FOAM. MYDESSERT IS ACREAMY POLENTA, A TRADITIONAL DISH FROM MY COUNTRY, BRAZIL, CONJIKA." "POPCORN CRUSTED MAHIMAHI WITH SMOKED TOMATO SAUCE, CREAMY CORN POLENTA,GOA T CHEESE crme FRESHE. DESSERT IS ACREME BRULEE STRIP." "MY entrée IS VANILLA BRINED CHICKEN, CORN PUREE, BACON DUST. AND DESSERT? CORN BRULEE, MINT JELLY RASPBERRY ANGLAIS AND VANILLA ICE CREAM." "SEARED FISH WITH CORN PUREE AND CORN ASIAN RAGOUT. AND DESSERT, CORN CAKE ANC CORN COOKIE AND CORN ICE CREAM. The theme works the new Localicious movement that 65 restaurants have adopted. "OUR PHILOSOPHY IS FARM TO TABLE, SUPPOT EH NEXT GENERATION. SO PART OF LOCALICIOUS IS $1 OF EVERY DISH GOES BACK TO THE HAWAII AG FOUNDATION AND VEGGIE U PROGRAM.": "WE USE LOCAL INGREDIENTS ANYWAY NOW WE GET TO GIVE BACK, WIN, WIN SITUATION: "WHAT WE PRODUCE GOES FROM NOT ONLY UNIVERSITY, HIGH SCHOOL TOKITCHEN TO CONSUMER." All finalists are scholarships. The big winner will be announced at KCC's fundraiser Ho'okipa this Thurday. At CIP, PY, KITV4N. The Mixed Plate Scholarship was set up 14 years ago by Pamela